Pesky Kids
by SoulMalady
Summary: James, Albus and Lily are soon to learn about their father's involvement with the Malfoys and they're in for a confusing surprise. Slash!
1. Chapter 1

**Preface**

"Dad," sounded the usual drawn out call that echoed through 12 Grimmauld Place nearly every single morning. "We're out of cereal."

Some called Harry a much too lenient parent and an oblivious authority figure. The mere utterance of the name 'Potter' made people cringe and stare in awe.

Over two decades after the war, there were three more Potters everyone had to watch out for.

First there was James Potter, the eldest of the trio. One perfect way to sketch him would be to take inspiration from Sirius Black. James was Sirius Black reincarnated. With his dashing good looks and callous attitude, he had broken a fair share of hearts. He had a bad rapport with rulebooks in that he wished he could simply burn them all with a flick of his wand. He insisted on paving his own way to success. Now, at the young age of twenty-one, he was collaborating with the Muggle world and their medical marvels. He absolutely refused to enroll in medical school because he thought of conformed education as a tool to simply suck in money. Had he had his way, he would have never even taken the NEWTs. Ginny's influence was the only reason he stuck through with his Hogwarts education until the end. And now he commuted back and forth from London to California on research projects and clinics as a spokesperson and liaison.

Then there was Albus Potter, the brains of the bunch. He had his head stuck in books more often than not. Quite anti-social and sullen, he would be the one to never speak his mind and then avoid trouble by blinking innocently from behind his large glasses that made his green eyes larger than they should be. If he had had his way, he would have stayed in school forever and ever. He hated the thought of becoming an adult who had the mindless responsibilities of making money and settling down according to society's insistence. He lived off his father without a second thought. Unlike James, whose main goal was to make money of his own, Albus threw away Harry's earnings on countless books. His room was a library in itself and his closet had been bewitched into yet another library as soon as he had learnt how to do so in his third year at Hogwarts. He could care less when his parents tried to lecture him into growing up and moving out of the house. He was satisfied with his current arrangement. Besides, moving out meant that he would have to find a job, try to socialize and learn to cook on his own. Those were skills he had _never_ mastered in all of twenty years.

Finally, Lily Potter. Her beauty rivaled James' charm alone. Her personality was as fiery as her hair. Legend has it that the Sorting Hat could not decide on a house for her, so she had placed herself in Gryffindor like her father had done. She always wore the best clothes, fashioned her long tresses into thick curls and conducted herself in the most superior manner. She was never without the latest product, whether it be a limited-edition broomstick or a strange new pet. Whatever she asked for, she received somehow. She needed but to smile and flutter her lashes. She manipulated everyone around her with her perfected sweetness. She had never had a day of bad luck. She could get away with murder, if need be. Her friends secretly hated and openly adored her. Her interests changed with the passing of seasons. One day it would be spell casting, the next day it would be potion making and a week after, it would be poetry. Anything she did, she excelled in.

Unfortunately for poor Harry, his children had the most warring personalities ever.

"Trying to sleep," he grumbled as he buried himself under mountains of pillows and blankets. He worked the night shift for a few weeks but his kids had no respect for his need for some peace and quiet. He plugged his ears because he was too tired to get his wand from the bedside table. He had just arrived home three hours ago and his wonderful dream had been interrupted by James' irritating voice.

"Dad!"

"No," Harry whimpered. Some days, he wished his kids could just be mature enough and go grocery shopping by themselves.

But he wouldn't trade his hectic life for the world.

* * *

It was a lazy Thursday evening for the young Potters. All of them were sprawled across the living room, buried in their own world – James was busily texting, Lily was doing her nails and Albus was studiously reading. But even times like these were bonding opportunities. The three were some of the closest siblings anyone had met. They always stuck by each other, no matter the situation. In Hogwarts, they often found themselves in heaps of trouble for it.

Once, Albus was on the wrong end of a bullying session. He had come out of it with crooked glasses and a thoroughly confused expression. He tended to be oblivious to the things around him, so he had had no idea why he had been talked down to and pushed about. Upon hearing about this incident, his older brother and younger sister had all but gone on a furious rampage. There were fists and hexes and detentions and severe letters. But James and Lily could have cared less. Anyone who touched their Albus was in for the beating of their lives. After that incident in third year, no one dared approach Albus with anything less than a bowed head and shaky smile. Albus was none the wiser.

"I was at this party last night," Lily started saying.

"Boring," James interrupted mildly.

She clicked her tongue and continued in any case. "Met this really cool guy. Never seen him before. From the States."

"Name?" Albus mumbled.

"Weird name. Scorpius."

James glanced back absently. "And?"

"He seemed cool."

"Where is this going?"

Lily studied her nails with a critical eye. "He's a Malfoy," she murmured.

Albus blinked at his book, then lifted his gaze to frown at his sister. James sat up slowly. "Malfoy?" he hesitated.

"Hmm."

"You just said he was cool."

Lily smiled at her brothers. "Yeah. He is. I think he's Draco Malfoy's son."

James leaned forward to ask, "What exactly do you mean by 'cool'?"

Lily shrugged as she sat up. "Handsome, quiet, formal. The whole package. He's studying to be lawyer, I hear. Muggle law, that is. So he's intelligent too. He didn't really talk to anyone. His girlfriend might have dragged him to the party. Personally, I think he could do _much_ better than Lauren." She shuddered with many unsaid words of gossip. "Anyway, he's here on vacation. He hasn't been back in years." She sat back with a thoughtful sigh. "I guess… the cool part of him is that he isn't a git."

James appeared thoughtful too. _Everyone_ knew about Draco Malfoy. Of course, no one had ever _met_ Draco Malfoy, but everyone knew of him. He was a foul, foul man. While Harry refused to spread rumors, his children were not beneath doing so. They had heard through the grapevine that the only reason Malfoy wasn't behind bars was because he had been a minor during the War and hence was 'coerced' into performing all the heinous acts he had been charged with. Anyway, over twenty years later, little was known about him other than the fact that he hopped through jobs and had nearly drained all his inheritance money. There might be alcohol and drugs at play, but there was no real evidence.

There was no real evidence because… well, no one had seen Draco Malfoy in ages. All that was known now was that he was in hiding at his rundown manor.

It was all a very sorry plight but no one was very sorry about it at all. The Malfoys got what they deserved even if Wizengamot had let them go free.

So what was Scorpius Malfoy doing? How was he so successful?

"I'm sure this guy got his good points from the Greengrass side of the family," James said heavily.

"Oh, no doubt about it," Lily agreed. "It's just weird that he kept his last name, you know? I'd want to get rid of it as soon as possible."

Albus couldn't help his smirk. "And you keep Potter because?"

She chucked a cushion at him while laughing drily.

That night was family night. This usually entailed a quiet dinner at home followed by a movie. However, Harry decided to nearly burn down the kitchen with his casserole, so they ended up going to a nearby restaurant instead.

"Mum would be _very_ pleased," James teased.

"Oh, come on," Harry whined in dismay. He had never been a good cook and had been in this situation more often than he cared to count. The restaurant staff probably knew them and their orders by now. But he still insisted on having family night because it was the only time he got to spend with his children.

"When's Teddy getting here?"

"Soon," Harry answered

For Ted, soon could mean anything between five minutes and one hour. The younger Potters groaned while their father simply smiled in defeat. They entered the bustling diner, squeezing into the foyer. While Harry asked for a table for five, Lily was scanning the place.

Her eyes slowly widened as they rested on a familiar face. She quickly elbowed her brothers and pointed with her eyes.

Off to the side of the restaurant in a booth sat a young man with a glass of wine and a serious expression set on his face.

"Scorpius," she whispered conspiringly.

"What?" James exclaimed.

The man had pale blond hair and pale eyes, both characteristic of a Malfoy. He did give off that air of sophistication that was brought on by money and good upbringing. He seemed to be in the midst of a serious discussion when his attention slipped for but a moment and rested on the group standing by the door.

"Stop staring, stop staring," Lily muttered quickly as she dropped her gaze innocently. James did the same, but Albus, being Albus, simply kept staring.

Scorpius frowned and tilted his head.

"Why are you still looking?" Lily hissed.

"I don't know," Albus shrugged.

The two started when they felt arms snaking over their shoulders. Harry poked his head between them. "What are you two whispering about?" he asked.

"Dad! You're so embarrassing!" Lily gasped as she pushed him away.

"Al doesn't seem to think so," Harry sniffed haughtily. "He likes me the best. Right, Albus?"

"Whatever," Albus mumbled while blushing. His father really was embarrassing.

"Mr. Potter?"

Harry looked up with a weary smile. That sort of a greeting was usually followed by a stammered request for an autograph or a photograph. His smile slipped when he found himself staring at… "Scorpius?" he asked incredulously. "Wh-what are you… You're _here_?"

Scorpius laughed giddily as he threw his arms around Harry and squeezed the breath out of him.

All James, Lily and Albus could do was gape at them.

Scorpius let go as abruptly as he had latched on. He stepped back with a mortified expression on his face. "S-sorry. Um," he swallowed loudly. "Um… Hello."

"Merlin," Harry exhaled. "You scared me!" He pulled Scorpius into another, much softer hug. "I didn't know you were back! Why didn't you call me?"

"Surprise," Scorpius mumbled, his words muffled against Harry's shoulder.


	2. Chapter 2

Lily looked up at James in bewilderment. 'How?' she mouthed. James shook his head in bewilderment.

Even after the two pulled away, Harry didn't let go of Scorpius. "You're so tall!" he gushed. "You're all grown up!"

"Well, it's been so long," Scorpius mumbled while Lily and James slumped in embarrassment. Their father was always so… unguarded.

"Oh!" Harry quickly turned Scorpius towards the three Potters standing off to the side. "My children."

"Of course," Scorpius smiled politely. "I'm Scorpius."

"And that's James, Albus and Lily," Harry introduced. "You finally get to meet them after all this time, right?"

Scorpius opened his mouth to try to thoroughly clear that up but was interrupted. "You're as humiliating as ever, Potter."

Harry turned with a defeated smile at his lips. "Of course," he murmured, shaking his head at Draco Malfoy.

The door suddenly swung open behind them. Usually, dramatic entrances pointed to…

"_Squirt_?" Teddy gasped, staggering to halt in front of the reunion. "What the _hell_?"

Scorpius grinned sheepishly.

"Man!" Teddy crowed with laughter as he pulled the younger man forward and ruffled his hair. "Long time!"

"You are all making a scene," Draco drawled.

"Right, right," Harry rushed. A few minutes later, all seven of them were seated around a long table in one corner of the room, away from prying eyes. It was certainly bound to be a strange dinner.

Harry and Draco were sat opposite each other at one end of the table while the rest scattered themselves beside the men. The Potters were frantically conversing with each other without words and watching on as Teddy poked fun of Scorpius good-naturedly.

"Last time I saw you, you were _tiny_!" he exclaimed.

"And now I'm taller," Scorpius grumbled. "Deal with it."

"It's so great to see you!"

Scorpius smiled begrudgingly. "It's nice to be back."

So apparently Scorpius and Teddy were buddies. But what on Earth was Draco Malfoy doing here? _The_ Draco Malfoy. That heinous man. A heinous man in a button-up shirt, dinner jacket and sleek trousers. A heinous clean-shaven man with slicked hair. A heinous man who was having a relaxed conversation with Harry Potter.

"What's going on?" James asked loudly.

Harry and Draco didn't even look up at the question, too deep in their rally to hear the question.

Teddy, however, was more than eager to share the whole story. "This here's my baby cousin," he simpered.

"I'm not a baby anything," Scorpius sighed.

"How do you know our father?" Albus wanted to know.

"Well." Teddy cracked his fingers as he got ready to tell the tale of the Malfoys. "Here's how it _all_ began."

* * *

"I need a favor."

Harry must have looked shocked upon hearing that statement because Theo simply glared at him, implying that he would _never_ say those words again. After getting over his amazement, the Auror finally said, "Alright." This was the first time Theo had appeared so defeated and confounded. "What's wrong?"

"It's not me. It's… about Malfoy."

Harry bristled. But he was diplomatic enough not to voice his opinions on Draco Malfoy. "Alright," he said again. "What's wrong?"

Theo let out a huge rush of air. "I'm sick of it," he exploded. "I'm sick of the way they're being treated. It's not fair! It's just not fair, Potter!"

"Wait, wait, wait," Harry hurried to say. "What's going on?"

"They're being ostracized! Everywhere they go, _anywhere_ they go, they-It's just… They have a _kid_, for fuck's sake!"

"Oh."

Theo pinched the bridge of his nose to calm himself down. His headache had bested him many times but now was not the best moment. "Could you help them start over?" he asked.

"Start over?" Harry blinked in confusion. He wasn't sure what that meant.

"Just help them relocate somewhere and start over," Theo continued. "That's all they need. Shit, that kid's going to go to Hogwarts in a few years and I'm seriously scared, Harry. I mean, what if… Shit!"

"Malfoy's kid?" Harry faltered.

Theo nodded silently.

Harry wasn't a fool. He knew exactly how Dark Army followers were being treated after the war. The ones who had not been sentenced to Azkaban had almost no chance of a normal life. They were looked down upon, denied jobs and given less than adequate service. But he hadn't thought that the problem was spilling over into the next generation as well. "What's his name?" he asked.

"Scorpius."

"Hmm."

Two days later, Harry found himself standing in front of Malfoy Manor with Theo knocking on the door for him. "They have _no_ idea I'm visiting, do they?" he asked.

"It's better that way," Theo reassured him. "I'll talk to them first, alright? Don't say anything stupid."

"_You_ dragged me into this!"

The door opened to reveal a very surprised Astoria. She stared at Harry for the longest time without shame. Harry simply shrugged and attempted to smile. Theo cleared his throat when the silence grew much too uncomfortable to stand. "Could we come in?" he asked.

"I…" She glanced behind her nervously. "Alright." She let the men through. Theo shooed Harry into the room right by the foyer, motioning for him to stay. Then he ushered Astoria into what appeared to be the dining room.

Harry walked into the refurbished room, struck by many memories of the war as he heard his echoing footsteps on the marble floor. He sat down on the couch to shake off his nervousness. He didn't exactly have a friendly rapport with the Malfoys, after all.

He winced when he heard muffled commotion just two doors away from him. There was no mistaking Draco's outrage and Theo's rebuttal. He tried to stop his jiggling knees. He shouldn't have agreed to this. He had just walked into the snake's lair.

He glanced up when he heard a soft whisper.

A small, gangly child stood in the middle of the doorway with his tiny hands clutched in front of him and his naked feet scuffing the cold marble.

"Hello," Harry greeted.

The boy shook his head quickly.

Harry smiled. The boy was supposed to be James' age, but he looked no older than Lily. "Are you Scorpius?"

The boy appeared dubious for a moment. But then he shook his head again.

"Oh, you aren't?" Harry asked. "Well, that's too bad. I'm here to see Scorpius. Do you know where he is?"

The boy shook his head with a violent motion this time.

Harry sighed dolefully. "Then I suppose I'll just have to wait for him here."

The boy chewed on his lip. Then he inched forward while keeping his distrustful grey eyes on the strange man in his house. No one _ever_ visited his house.

"My name is Harry. Harry Potter."

Scorpius froze in fright. Did he say Harry Potter? "You're lying."

Harry's smile widened. The child even sounded like an obstinate Draco Malfoy. "Am I?" He brushed his hair back. "I have the scar, see?"

Scorpius scrambled forward and peered up at the faint scar, his small mouth parted in awe. He knew all about Harry Potter. "Can I touch it?" he asked in a whisper.

"I suppose."

Scorpius pressed his cold fingers against Harry's forehead. It was real. He could feel the scar against his skin. This really was Harry Potter. "Hello," he whispered.

"Ah, so you really are Scorpius, aren't you?" Harry noted.

"No," Scorpius insisted. "I don't want to be Scorpius."

"Then who would you like to be?"

"I want to be Harry Potter."

Harry laughed incredulously. "You do, do you?"

"Mhm. _Everyone_ wants to be Harry Potter."

And, while it was that easy to earn the trust of a seven-year-old boy, it was just as difficult to have a proper conversation with Malfoy.

Thankfully, Astoria was a strong willed woman who had the best interests of her child in mind. Even if Draco had forbidden Harry's entrance into the manor, she allowed it wholeheartedly. Of course, Harry made sure to visit only when Draco wasn't home.

His fourth visit was a very enlightening one since that was the evening Astoria started to open up to him. They were in the playroom, as always.

"Does he often play alone?" Harry asked quietly so as not to disrupt Scorpius' studious attempt at making 'tea' for the adults present in his room.

"Who would play with him?" Astoria countered, her voice betraying her bitterness. "He's… a happy boy, though. He never complains to me."

Scorpius stuck the tip of his tongue out the corner of his mouth as he balanced the cups and saucers and walked slowly towards his guests. He handed the tea to his mother and Harry. "Ta da!"

They drank the pretend beverage with relish. "The best I've tasted," Harry praised.

"Thank you," Scorpius bowed. "Next, I'll make you some cake, Harry Potter."

"You do that, love," Astoria urged.

Harry watched Scorpius talk to himself while rattling a whisk in a bowl. "If you could move, where would you like to go?" he asked.

Astoria glanced down and smiled. "I don't know. Somewhere warm," she murmured. She looked up at him with a tired shrug.

He nodded in reassurance. "I'm Harry Potter," he reminded her. "I can do anything."

"But not this."

"Even this."


	3. Chapter 3

Three months later, Harry brought a visitor with him.

Scorpius peeked out from behind Astoria's skirt, eyeing the new boy with uncertainty.

"Teddy, this is Mrs. Malfoy," Harry said. "And that's her son, Scorpius. He's your baby cousin."

"I'm not a baby," Scorpius interjected.

"Harry's just being silly," Teddy said airily. "He _always_ says things like that."

Harry smiled at Astoria who was already looking brighter.

That night, the two boys bonded over Teddy's magic. Scorpius was in awe of the older boy who could change into anything in the blink of an eye. Teddy boasted about his adventures at Hogwarts, glad to have an adoring fan stare up at him with wide eyes and flushed cheeks. He showed Scorpius how he could use his wand to float things and make water.

"I'm pretty awesome, huh?" he asked while wiggling his brows.

"You are," Scorpius gushed. "You're so awesome. Do you think I'm awesome?"

Teddy scrutinized Scorpius with narrowed eyes. "Well… not yet," he hummed. "But I'll make you awesome. So don't worry about it. That's what big cousins are for."

"And," Scorpius continued excitedly, "when I grow up, I want to be _just_ like Harry Potter, okay?"

"Hey!" Teddy exclaimed. "Me too! See? We're already the same!"

Astoria stifled her laughs against her hand and her eyes were bright with tears. This was the first time Scorpius had interacted with anyone other than family and close friends. This was an amazing milestone.

"He's wonderful, Harry," she gushed. "Teddy's wonderful."

"I know," Harry said while puffing his chest out proudly. "He's like my firstborn."

Scorpius looked up when he saw movement in his periphery and his face lit up with a wide grin. "Daddy!" he crowed, jumping up on his feet and running over.

Harry and Astoria whipped their heads around to find Draco leaning against the doorjamb with his arms folded against his chest. A vague smile was directed at his son. "What?" he asked the boy.

"You have to meet my cousin!" Scorpius insisted while pointing at his new friend. "See? His name's Teddy."

Draco looked up at Teddy and nodded once. "Hello."

Teddy's face twisted into a loathsome scowl and he purposefully turned his back to Draco.

Harry and Astoria looked at each other in bewilderment.

"He doesn't seem to like me," Draco remarked to Scorpius.

"Oh," Scorpius groaned in dismay. He ran over to Teddy and crouched down next to the boy who was sitting hunched over. "You don't like him?" he asked hurriedly. "He's nice, Teddy. He's my father. He's _very_ nice."

"He's not," Teddy snapped. "He's awful. Everyone says he's the meanest."

"Teddy," Harry interjected in a stern tone.

"It's true," Teddy argued.

"Oh man," Scorpius mumbled to himself as he pushed himself up and ran to his father again. "Father!" he whined. "What did you do?" He couldn't lose his new friend like this!

Harry had walked over to Teddy by then and sat down next to him. "That's not fair, Ted," he said quietly, keeping this conversation between them. "Who told you that Mr. Malfoy was mean?"

"Everyone at school says so," Teddy whispered. "You said he wouldn't be here."

"You have never met him," Harry lectured. "If you have never met him before, how do you know what he is like? You can't just take other people's word for it. Scorpius is kind, isn't he?"

Teddy shot up to his feet and spun around to face Draco. "Why haven't you ever visited me?" he snapped.

Draco appeared taken aback. "Pardon?" he asked.

"You're my cousin too, aren't you?" Teddy kept going. "You're my family, aren't you? Why won't you ever visit me?"

Draco didn't quite know what to say to that. "I… didn't really know you existed," he said frankly.

Teddy gasped dramatically as he brought up his arm to point an accusatory finger at Draco. "Did you hear that, Harry?" he squealed. "He's mean! He didn't even know I existed! I told you so!"

Draco massaged his temple in defeat. Kids were so incredibly difficult to understand.

So Teddy broke the ice between Harry and Draco. From there on in, it was smooth sailing. There were many hoops that they needed to jump through. Because of Draco's involvement in the war, his travel privileges had been revoked. That took nearly six months to rectify. Then came the hassle of moving funds and finding a secure job. Since the effects of the War were mostly confined to Europe, Draco and Astoria had very little trouble with employment. Then they had to figure out schooling for Scorpius. He was terribly sad when he realized that he would not be able to go to Hogwarts. But Harry knew that prejudices ran high and, upon hearing the Malfoy name, Scorpius would have an incredibly tough time with his peers and professors. The stigma around ex-Death Eaters was not easy to expunge.

"Hey, Draco," Teddy dragged out with a sweet smile. Draco knew that a singsong voice meant nothing good. He ignored the boy studiously. Teddy sidled over to Draco with Scorpius in tow until they were both seated on the couch right up close to the man who was sorting through some documents. "Can I ask you something?"

"No, you may not," Draco murmured absently.

"Come on, Dad," Scorpius urged even though he had no idea what Teddy was talking about.

Draco sighed in defeat and turned to face the two boys. "Teddy, stop influencing my child. Scorpius, stop following him around," he ordered. "You two are such a pain."

"But I just want to see your Dark Mark."

Scorpius reeled when he heard Teddy say this. The words, coupled with Draco's sour expression, had all the makings of a thorough grounding. "I don't," the young boy squeaked. "I don't want to see it."

Teddy scowled at Scorpius, then turned his sweet smile at Draco. "Please?" he asked. "Just a peek."

"We should go," Scorpius whispered hurriedly while tugging at Teddy's hand. "Let's go play something else, okay? Okay, Teddy?"

"Not okay," Teddy retorted, his stubbornness coming out in both his stance and his speech. "I want to see. It's just a tattoo. I just want to see it!"

Draco raked a hand through his hair before making a disparaging sound with his tongue and unbuttoning the cuff of his shirt. He rolled his sleeve up and held his pale arm out for the boys to see.

Teddy was the first to scurry in to take a close look. Scorpius soon followed, albeit with a bit more caution. Before long, the two boys had their fingers tracing the very faint etching of the inactive Dark Mark.

"Happy?" Draco asked tiredly.

"It's so scary," Teddy whispered.

"Scary," Scorpius agreed.

Teddy looked up at Draco with wide eyes. "You're pretty cool, Draco. I'm telling all my friends at school," he said with a sure nod. "No one will say anything bad about you then. Just wait until school starts again."

"Cool? Really?" Draco echoed as his lips curled up into a lazy smirk. "This is just sad. There's nothing cool about it. Don't tell them anything. No need to get into trouble, alright?"

"I'm not ashamed of you," Teddy said with an affected sniff. "I know people don't like you, but _I_ like you and Astoria and Squirt."

And so, by the end of two years, everything was nearly set in stone and the Malfoys were going to move on with their new lives.

"Alright, so here's the plan," Harry conspired as he wiped Scorpius' cheeks dry. "Study _really_ hard and write me lots of letters to let me know how you're doing."

"I don't want to go," Scorpius sobbed. "I'll miss you and Ted so much."

"I have a feeling we'll miss you more."

Scorpius hugged Harry tight as he thought about refusing to let go. "W-will you write back?" he sniffled. "Please?"

"Of course," Harry groaned. "Of course I'll write back!"

"When can I come home?"

Harry stifled his sigh. This was just not fair. He stroked Scorpius' back gently. "I don't know," he murmured. "I hope it'll be soon. I'll fix things here and then you can come back. There is just a lot to fix."

"But you can do anything, right?"

Harry pulled back to look at Scorpius as he nodded.

"Okay," Scorpius exhaled. "I believe you."

"We'll be right here."

Then Scorpius turned to Teddy who pulled him into a rough hug. "I'll miss you, Squirt," he murmured.

"I'll miss you too," Scorpius said earnestly. "Come visit me, okay? When school's over for summer, you can stay with me."

"Alright."

Meanwhile, Harry hugged Astoria goodbye and shook Draco's hand. "Have a safe trip. Let me know how things go," he said.

"Thank you, Harry," Astoria smiled. "This is incredible. I hope you realize how thankful we are."

"One step at a time, right?" Harry murmured, flicking his eyes at little Scorpius who was crying anew while clinging to Teddy. "We'll change things," Harry promised her and Draco. "Don't worry about it. He's going to have an amazing life, hmm?"

"We'll make sure of it," Astoria answered.

"Later, Potter."

"Yeah. Later, Malfoy."

* * *

"And that's that," Teddy grinned triumphantly. "Now everyone's back together!"

Draco snorted in derision. "I tell you, Potter, for two years, he had this phase where he wished _you_ were his dad instead of me," he muttered.

"Father!" Scorpius hissed.

"What? It's true," Draco maintained. He looked back at Harry with a raised brow. "That was when he was fourteen. Can you imagine it? I even contemplated shipping him over to you because he was being an unmanageable brat."

"Everyone goes through that," Teddy said, waving Draco down. "I hated Harry all through Sixth Year. Remember that?"

"All too well," Harry said under his breath.

James, Lily and Albus were too consumed in their thoughts to consider adding to the conversation. They simply ate quietly while digesting everything Teddy had divulged.

"But he's still pretty awesome, huh?" Teddy asked Scorpius while jerking his thumb at Harry.

"For heaven's sake, you two," Harry grumbled. "I'm going to leave if you keep talking like that."

"You haven't heard the worst of it," Draco snorted. "He kept telling everyone at school that he was all buddy-buddy with you."

"Oh my goodness," Scorpius muttered while trying to disappear into the couch he was seated on. He looked up at Teddy piteously. "Let's talk about something else?" he pleaded.

"Gladly," Teddy laughed. "So these," he threw an arm around Albus and gestured at the other two Potters, "are Harry's ungrateful little imps. Say hello."

Albus smiled sheepishly while Lily and James glowered at Teddy.

Scorpius cleared his throat out of nervousness. "I've… um, I've always wanted to meet you all," he said.

"And we've _never_ heard of _you_," James finished. Then he trained a disapproving eye on his father who ignored him with practiced finesse.

Scorpius simply brushed it off, however. "Rightfully so," he said. "My name's not something people throw around in a casual conversation, after all."

"Hmm."

"So… what do you all do?"

"Absolutely nothing!" Teddy claimed. "Isn't that lovely?"

"Shut up, _loser_," Lily growled.

"At least I have a job, _hag_."

"Hey, now," Harry was quick to intervene. "We're in public. A modicum of maturity will be greatly appreciated."

Teddy stuck his tongue out at Lily who graciously ignored him and turned to Scorpius instead. "Well, I just finished my NEWTs last year and I haven't decided on what to do yet," she told him. "James works as a medical representative. He's sort of a mediator between Muggle and Wizard medicine. And Al reads and writes all day long."

Scorpius nodded eagerly through it all. "That sounds great," he said with sincerity. "I'm still in school so I don't have a job either. Nothing wrong with that." He directed that last statement at Teddy.

"Yeah, you're studying to be a lawyer," Teddy drawled. "_Huge_ difference."

"So this is _really_ your first time in London since then?" James asked.

"Yes," Scorpius answered. "It's strange, right? Back home, it's quite hard to come by magic. So it's weird to be… _here_. Kind of cool."

"Didn't you go to a wizarding school?" Albus asked in awe.

"Of course, of course. But we hardly had more than twenty of us in one year. It was _very_ small. Nothing like Hogwarts." Scorpius smiled wryly. "That must have been fun, right? Hogwarts?"

"Oh, here he goes with his sentimental crap." Teddy rolled his eyes. "Hogwarts this, Hogwarts that."

After an enlightening dinner, the Potters bid farewell to the Malfoys and Teddy before starting their trek home. Everyone was silently contemplating the events, of course. Harry was overwhelmed from the sudden reunion and his children couldn't quite understand why they hadn't known about this before.

"Does Mum know?" James asked carefully.

Harry's gaze trailed to the ground.

James exchanged loaded looks with his siblings. So _there_ was the reason. "Does Mum have to know?" he pressed on.

Harry shoved his hands into his pockets and shrugged.

He had never told Ginny about this development because he knew how she felt about the Malfoys. He knew how _everyone_ felt about the Malfoys. But that was all in the past. Perhaps everyone had adopted the forgive and forget attitude by now…

He knew he was only trying to fool himself with that thought. He was in _so much trouble_.

"We won't tell," Albus murmured. "It's okay, Dad."

Harry shook his head. "I should have told her a long time ago anyway." He smiled up at his kids. "Don't worry about it, alright?"

"They aren't bad people," Lily remarked. "We saw them with our own eyes, right? Scorpius is actually quite pleasant. So I don't see why everyone should get huffy over it. It's not like _he_ did anything."

"Hmm."

They got home and got ready for their movie by changing into their sleepwear and conjuring up blankets and pillows in front of the television. Once they were settled down in their places, the screen flickered bright and the smell of buttery popcorn wafted through the room.

"Stay awake for this one, Dad," James added just as the opening credits rolled over the screen.

"Ha ha," Harry said derisively. It was hardly his fault if every single movie he watched put him to sleep just half-hour in.

Sure enough, half-hour later, he was knocked out cold and curled up on the couch.

James slid down onto the ground to sit with Albus and Lily who were sharing a bowl while ardently watching the suspense-thriller that was on screen. "Hey," he whispered.

"What?" they asked.

"About Malfoy. What's up with that, you think?" James murmured. "Mum doesn't know. I bet Aunty Hermione knows nothing. Think things were really that bad?"

"Probably," Albus replied. "It was a tough time after the war. It's the same after every war. People need someone to blame."

"So… do you think all that stuff about Draco Malfoy isn't true?"

Lily finally looked away from the television. "They probably are true," she figured. "But that's no reason to run him out of the country, is it? He was _my_ age when it ended. I can't imagine what I would do if all that stuff happened to me."

"Mum will be pissed," James tsked. "I can't believe Dad didn't tell her."

"It's fine," Albus mumbled absently. "I'll talk to her."

James and Lily rolled their eyes over top of their brother's head. Mummy's pet to the rescue.


	4. Chapter 4

"This… is probably not a good idea," Scorpius faltered.

Teddy harrumphed as he pulled his cousin forward. "She won't bite, if that's what you're worried about," he muttered.

They were in Andromeda Tonks' house. Scorpius had never met his great aunt before and Teddy seemed to take it upon himself to introduce them. He hadn't told his grandmother anything other than that he had a surprise for her. Scorpius wasn't sure he was much of a surprise.

"Ready, Grandma?" he called out.

"Just come in here, Teddy. I don't have all day."

Teddy grinned at Scorpius as his eyes glinted with mischief. "Here we go," he exclaimed before throwing the door open grandly and pushing Scorpius inside.

Andromeda appeared startled at the sudden intrusion. She was in the kitchen with a bowl in one hand, spoon in the other and a floury apron around her. She glanced over Scorpius' shoulder when Teddy walked in with a winning smile. "What's going on?" she asked while smiling faintly.

"This is your one and only great-nephew! Scorpius!"

Scorpius attempted a pathetic smile while Andromeda's jaw dropped.

"Awesome, huh?" Teddy urged as he threw an arm around Scorpius.

"My goodness," Andromeda exhaled, bringing a hand up to her chest. "Don't spring things like that on me, Teddy."

"But he's not scary at all. He's actually quite tame."

Scorpius scowled at Teddy. Really, that man never seemed to grow up.

"I'm sorry, Scorpius," Andromeda said graciously while putting the bowl down and brushing her hands clean. "He really has a strange set of manners. I'm sure you know that already."

"It's good to meet you, Mrs. Tonks," Scorpius managed to say.

"And you too," Andromeda smiled. "Teddy lets me read some of your letters."

Teddy tutted. "That was our little secret, Grandma."

Scorpius simply blushed. "Oh… I didn't know that."

So, while things were going swimmingly in the Tonks household, the Potters had an entirely different story to tell.

"What?"

Harry cringed inwardly as he attempted to maintain an innocent façade. He had only just gotten to the part about Theo. That was the first part. The expression on his wife's face evidently showed that she would not have the patience to listen to the second, third, fourth or fifth part of the story.

"Why wouldn't you tell me?"

Thankfully, both she and Harry were what you would call 'talkers'. They talked their way through their disagreements. But usually they talked with a bottle of wine between them. That night, they had nothing but a bunch of suitcases between them from Ginny's recent trip to Russia.

They were standing on either side of their king-size bed, staring at each other.

"I knew how you felt about the Malfoys," Harry confessed.

"How would you know how I felt if you didn't even _ask_ me?"

"I'm sorry."

Ginny let out a slow stream of air through pursed lips. Then she pulled her hair back and tied it into a messy bun. "Keep going."

Harry hesitated for a moment before dropping his eyes to the open bag in front of him. He sifted through the folded clothes as he continued. "He was just worried about Malfoy's son. So I decided to help them out." He knew that bringing in the 'son' card early might earn him a few points in Ginny's book. "His name's Scorpius. He's the same age as James…"

"Is that relevant?"

Harry bit his tongue, then regrouped. "He was around seven or eight at the time. Theo and Astoria were worried about a lot of things. That included Scorpius' education." He glanced up at his wife. "You would have done the same thing, right? You would have helped them too, wouldn't you? It's not fair for him to struggle because of the things his father did."

"So you helped them relocate?"

"Yes."

"How long did that take?"

Harry sighed in defeat and sat down on the edge of the bed. "Two… two years or so," he mumbled.

"For _heaven's_ sake, Harry-"

"I had to hide it, Ginny," he rushed to say. "I'm so sorry. I should have said something to you. I was… I wasn't sure if you would stop me or report me or… I don't know. I was just scared for them, that's all."

"You hid this from _me_!"

"I know."

Ginny swallowed down the rest of her words when she heard the tremor in Harry's voice. Truth be told, she could care less where the Malfoys ended up. What pissed her off was that her husband had concealed this from her for _years_ now. She took another breath to calm herself down before walking around the bed and standing in front of Harry.

He reached out and pulled her forward, hugging her waist and pressing his cheek against her stomach. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

"Why are you telling me this now?" she asked.

Harry tilted his head up to look at Ginny. "They're back," he told her. "We ran into them last Thursday at dinner and… the kids know."

"I see."

"You're mad at me."

"Yes, I am."

Harry hugged her tighter still. "I love you?"

Ginny frowned.

Harry pouted and turned his head to press his cheek against her again. "Teddy knew," he murmured. "He was so excited to meet his family."

Ginny gasped suddenly, causing Harry to jerk and pull back. She had a hand pressed to her mouth and her eyes open in sudden revelation.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

She smacked herself over the head. "Of course! That makes so much sense!" she exclaimed. "That's why he got into all those fights at school!"

Harry rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Um… yeah. He doesn't really sit back when people badmouth the Malfoys," he mumbled.

"Harry," Ginny tsked. "I hope Andy knew about this."

"Yes, of course."

She looked down at him while shaking her head in disappointment. "And you have _never_ done anything like that since?" she inquired.

"I've told you everything else."

"And was it worth it?"

Harry smiled and nodded.

Ginny plopped down next to Harry to sulk. "You know I'm a big softy," she grumbled. "I can't stay mad at you for too long."

"I know," Harry hummed. He leaned against her and pressed a soft kiss on her cheek. "Love you."

"Hermione's going to murder you."

"Yeah, she is."

The next morning, Albus was interrupted from his reading when the door to his room opened a crack. Ginny poked her head in and roved her eyes over the mess before resting her smile on her youngest son. He nodded at her to come in.

She settled down next to him and handed him a cup of hot chocolate. "Thank you," Albus said as he took it from her.

"How have you been, sweetheart?"

"Fine," Albus smiled, ducking his head when she kissed his forehead.

Yes, there was no denying who Ginny's favorite was. She always felt the need to take Albus under her wing since he was such a quiet and shy boy unlike his siblings. While Lily and James were more than capable of handling themselves, Albus was always, at least in her eyes, her little angel. He didn't complain, so she had yet to stop coddling him.

"Did you talk to Dad?" he asked.

"Are we both thinking about the same thing?"

"Maybe… not?"

Ginny laughed. "Yes, we've talked it over. We're fine, okay? You don't have to worry about anything," she reassured him.

"That's what Dad said," Albus muttered. He nestled against Ginny with the mug held in both hands. "Are you mad at him?"

"Just a bit."

"Don't be," he said sagely. "I met Mr. Malfoy and his son last week. They are both very courteous people. It is wrong to victimize them."

"Indeed," Ginny agreed. "But old habits are hard to break, right? I have known Mr. Malfoy all through his school years and… let's just say that he left a lot to be desired. It's his upbringing, of course."

"And you shouldn't be angry with Dad for overlooking that," he concluded firmly. "He was the bigger man here. It's plain as day."

"Of course I know that," she seceded. "I just happen to dislike that… awfully selfless part of him." She sighed loudly. "And I also happen to love it very much."

"Dad's pretty cool, huh? Sometimes."

"Sometimes."

That night, when Ginny brought up the idea of inviting the Malfoys over for dinner, Harry was both taken aback and pleasantly surprised.

"Oh, you don't have to," he emphasized. "We aren't obliged to do anything of that sort."

"I want to," she explained. "I want to meet them, see if he's really changed and all."

"It's so sweet of you to suggest, love," he murmured. "But I don't think they can accept, alright?"

She pursed her lips but didn't argue further.

A minute later, Harry caved, as he often did. "We can invite Scorpius. How's that? That won't be awkward for anyone," he offered.

"Sounds good."

* * *

"So, the _only_ thing you've got to remember about Ginny is that she loves Quidditch," Teddy told Scorpius.

"That's just great," Scorpius mumbled nervously. He knew next to nothing about that sport. "She's going to hate me."

"I think she's going to be floored by how unlike your father you are."

"That's mean."

Teddy winked at his cousin. "Shall we?" He gestured towards the front door of the Potter residence.

The house was a model home, exactly what Scorpius would have expected from the Boy-Who-Lived. It was warm, filled with rich undertones and a few tacky curios, smelt of books, broomsticks and cooking, and far-off jazz music played from somewhere deeper inside the home.

"We're here," Teddy called out as he kicked off his shoes and hung his jacket. Scorpius followed suit with less enthusiasm, making sure his shirt was still tucked into his trousers and that his hair wasn't sticking up in odd places. Teddy led him to the living room where Scorpius was immensely relieved to find Harry.

"Hello," Harry grinned as he straightened up. He seemed to have been stoking the fireplace. "Thank you for coming."

"It's fine. Thank you for inviting me," Scorpius said before he nervously sat down on the edge of the couch beside Teddy.

"No need to be shy," Harry mock whispered. "She doesn't breathe fire."

Scorpius blushed while Teddy laughed heartily. "That's what I told him! He won't believe me."

James strolled in right then, waving casually at the guests. "Should I have dressed up?" he asked as he eyed Scorpius' attire.

"He's dressed to impress," Teddy teased.

Scorpius groaned and dropped his face in his hands.

The door to the dining room swung open to reveal Albus who asked, "Mum wants to know if…" and then trailed off when he noticed that Scorpius and Teddy were there already. "Oh. Hello. I didn't know you were here already."

Harry got up from his perch on the chair. "You keep Scorpius company, Al," he said as he made his way to the dining room. "I'll help Mum."

A few minutes later, the table was laid out. Dinner was a polite and quick affair. There wasn't much conversation. Everyone was busy eating and trying not to stare at new faces. Ginny was impressed with Scorpius, although she didn't show it. The young man had good manners and a pleasant smile. She could understand why Harry had melted at the sight of him all those years ago. He was just an innocent child, after all.

After dinner, everyone gathered in the living room for coffee and dessert. That was when the real conversations started.

"Harry tells me you are studying _Muggle_ law," Ginny remarked. "That is very ambitious of you."

Scorpius shrugged modestly. "I have always been interested in those aspects of law. I find Wizarding law a bit primitive, I suppose. Muggle law is fascinating," he said. "I hope to work with both parties."

"Of course."

"He was always a smart one," Teddy boasted as though he was talking about his own son. "He'd steal my wand, you know? He'd pretend to make up new spells. None of them worked. But he _did_ manage to nearly blow a hole through the roof."

"Well, I didn't realize it was dangerous," Scorpius hurried to explain. Out of courtesy, he didn't tell them that Teddy had encouraged him half of those times.

Harry laughed at the mild squabble. "To be fair, James was that way too," he reminisced. "He would have flown off on my broomstick if it wasn't locked away."

"I think that's what nearly all the Weasley brats would do," Teddy guffawed. "It's like their inhibitions are shot."

"Hey," Ginny pretended to be offended. "You can't blame my bloodline for it. Kids will be kids." Then she smiled fondly at Albus. "Now _that_ is one boy who couldn't have been more of an angel."

James and Lily pulled a face at their brother while the object of everyone's attention blushed brightly and tried to disappear into his chair. Scorpius attempted to hide his amusement behind his coffee.

"I'm afraid I'd have to agree with Ginny there," Teddy said with a big nod. "Then again, when you've got Lily and James around," he added for Scorpius' benefit, "Albus will seem like a godsend. I'm not exaggerating." He received glares for the comment.

As the night went along, the Potter's thoughts of Scorpius became rather apparent. Harry had yet to stop smiling, seeming like a proud uncle. Ginny kept nodding every once in a while when Scorpius said something impressive, like how he had been a prefect at his school and won medals for academics over the years. Teddy was _obviously_ fond of the young Malfoy, practically parading him and his achievements. James was still trying to make up his mind and wouldn't stop asking questions about North America. Lily was struck with an awful case of love sickness when Scorpius turned a brilliant smile her way. And Albus was too caught up in his bowl of pudding to do anything more than glance up from his plate mutely whenever a statement was directed his way. Scorpius wasn't eaten alive after all.

In fact, he learnt a whole lot of things about the Potters at that day. They were just as perfect as they seemed, inside and out. All three children were incredibly intelligent and had a good future ahead of them, no matter what they chose to do. Ginny's career was still going strong with the Prophet and Harry was at the prime of his life, leading the most powerful team in Britain. Scorpius was a little jealous and _very_ amazed that such a family could exist outside his imagination.

Once dessert had been consumed, Teddy insisted on showing Scorpius Sirius' motorcycle that was now James' possession. The adults hung back to clean up while Teddy tugged Scorpius along to the back of the house where the black motorcycle stood against the wall. "It was supposed to be _my_ inheritance, you know?" he commented with an affected sniff.

James smiled smugly as he patted the seat of his trusty vehicle. He loved the old thing. She was the envy of all his friends and the golden ticket in getting a date with a gorgeous girl. He used it to his full advantage. "Wanna ride it?" he offered Scorpius, who stepped back with his eyes wide open. Teddy, on the other hand, was already halfway on the motorcycle. "Oi! Not you!" James exclaimed.

"He doesn't want to, so it's okay," Teddy reasoned without basis. The bike started with an angry roar. Teddy grinned big when his chest started thrumming. James could do nothing but yell as his motorcycle took off down the alleyway.

Scorpius' jaw dropped with Teddy whirred the thrusters. The motorcycle lifted off the ground jerkily and flew off into the distance faster than ever.

"Pretty cool, huh?" Lily murmured as she sidled up to Scorpius. "Have you ever ridden a motorcycle before?"

"Never," Scorpius gawked. "That's amazing."

James heard that. He turned around to grin at Scorpius again. "I know," he said, as though he was boasting about a personal accomplishment. "Dad taught me when Mum wasn't around. She would've thrown a fit."

"He taught me too," Lily quipped, not wanting to be outdone by her older brother.

"I'm _pretty_ sure my mother would throw a fit as well," Scorpius laughed. "You should have seen her face when I first got on a broomstick." He flicked his eyes at Albus, who was staring up at the distant speck in the sky. "Do you fly as well, Albus?" Al responded with a silent shake of his head.

"He's not the adventurous type," Lily whispered theatrically. "I know. It's hard to imagine."

Albus ignored his sister while pushing his glasses up his nose. "I don't want to ride on an opportunity to break my neck," he grumbled. "Nothing about adventure. I value my limbs."

Scorpius chuckled again. That was the first time he had heard Al speak. "We think alike, you and I. Adrenaline is not my friend," he confessed, shrugging apologetically as he said it.

"Oh, you know what?" James suddenly chimed in. "Al, you should show him your room! I'm sure he'd appreciate it _way_ more than my motorcycle. You're both nerds and all."

"Hey," Scorpius frowned.

"What? It's true."

Albus shoved his hands into his pockets. He didn't want to refuse outright because it would not do to be rude to a guest. But he didn't like showing people his room. James and Lily _loved_ to do it _for_ him, though. They always brought all their friends over so they could ogle at it like it was some fascinating piece of work. He could never say no. It was his curse.

Upon reaching the doorway to his room, he was having second, third, and fourth thoughts. "Actually," he hesitated while turning around, "it's not that interesting."

"Oh, come on," Scorpius urged. "Please?"

Albus thought about it for a bit. Scorpius had a very genuine expression on. Despite his misgivings, he slumped and opened the door to let Scorpius in.

Scorpius' amazed gasp was not faked in any way. He was astounded by the sheer size of the room. On top of that, the walls were filled with books and curios, the floor was littered with parchment and it smelt of dust and ink. "No way," he gushed. "This is incredible!"

"Not really," Albus mumbled. "It's just my room. It's nothing."

"No, it's really cool! Look at all this stuff!" Scorpius walked up to one of the shelves, running his fingers over the spines. "Have you really read all of this?"

"No… I just like to buy them," Albus confessed. "Maybe someday."

"Yeah, for sure!"

Albus stood uncomfortably by the doorway while Scorpius moved from one shelf to the next. The youngest Potter was used to this. Everyone seemed to think his room was an oddity. He didn't mind. He knew it was a strange place. But it was his room and his mother had said that he could do _whatever_ he wanted to it. "So, do you like to read?" he asked lamely.

"Not like you do," Scorpius responded with a modest smile. "But yes. Fiction. It's just an escape from reality, right?"

"I know."

He flicked his eyes at Albus and his lips quirked up in a sly smirk. "You're writing a book, aren't you?"

Albus blushed suddenly. He hadn't been expecting that. "It's nothing," he divulged. "I've started so many but I can't ever finish a single one. I don't like to end stories, I suppose."

"Gosh, you're so…" Scorpius scrambled for the right word as he turned to face Albus fully. "So… tortured, right?"

Albus snorted in derision. "If you say so. I'm not one to argue." He crossed his arms against his chest when Scorpius neared his desk. He wanted to tell Malfoy to lay off and not stare at the scrolls of parchment he had scribbled on. He bit his tongue instead, cringing when Scorpius leaned in to read one of his passages. He didn't like letting people read his work, not unless it was his mother. Scorpius hummed absently after he finished reading the little excerpt. Al heard him mumbled, "Tortured," once again. So what if he wrote like a tortured artist? There was nothing wrong with it.

"Do you let people borrow books?"

Albus shrugged. "No one ever asks. Not really. Except my family, I mean," he answered.

"Will you let me?"

"Sure."

"I won't ruin them."

"I know."

The boys looked back when there was a knock at the open door. Harry was leaning against the doorjamb with a vague smile. "Incredible room, isn't it?" he asked Scorpius.

"I was just telling him that," Scorpius beamed. "You're quite indulgent."

"What can I say?" Harry shrugged modestly. "He never asks for anything so I figured I'd at least give him this."

"I'm right here," Albus mumbled under his breath. Everyone always talked like he wasn't around.

"Anyway," Harry continued, glancing at his watch, "I don't mean to rush you but I've got to hit the bed. I have an early morning."

"Oh!" Scorpius exclaimed. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to keep you up, Harry. Um, I'll just get Teddy-"

"No, no," Harry laughed with a nonchalant wave. "I just wanted to say goodnight. You guys can stay for as long as you want. It's barely nine, after all."

Scorpius glanced at Albus hesitantly. "I-um… Al, could you lend me your favorite book, then?" he asked. Albus blinked and then nodded. Scorpius smiled and gave him a grateful nod. "I'll be right back. I just need to talk to Harry for a second."

"Okay," the younger boy said as he turned towards his bookshelf.

Harry led the way out into the hall and Scorpius followed, gently pulling the door close behind him. "I… wanted to thank you for dinner," he faltered.

"Did you really?" Harry prodded.

Scorpius chuckled as he rubbed the back of his neck with some embarrassment. "You have wonderful children," he said. "Just like I had imagined them to be."

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he answered quickly. "It's nothing. I'm still finding it so hard to believe that I'm _here_, you know? After all these years, it's incredible."

"You don't want to go back, do you?" Harry gathered, arching a brow.

Scorpius swallowed hard and paused for a moment before shaking his head. "Of course not. Everyone's here. Dad's friends, his home, Mom's family, you, Teddy. I don't want to go back," he confessed. "There's so much more here."

"What about your friends in the States?"

Scorpius shrugged vaguely. "I was never any good at that," he murmured.

"I see."

The young Malfoy sighed suddenly and shook his head. "I'm sorry. I don't know why I-" he broke off and shook his head again. "Sorry. I was just thinking out loud."

"Hey," Harry interjected, resting a hand on Scorpius' arm and making him look up. "It's okay to think out loud. You can always tell me what you think. You've always told me what you think in your letters."

"It's so much harder when you're right here," Scorpius said with a shaky laugh.

Harry tsked as he pulled Scorpius into a hug. "You worry way too much," he chided. "Is this something to be scared about? Hmm? Stay here if you'd like to. Study here if you want. You're too young to be worried about things like this."

"I'm not scared," Scorpius lied as he hid his face against Harry's shoulder. He was struck with nostalgia and memories. "I can do whatever I want. Right?"

"Right." Harry patted his back. "Tomorrow you should come over in the evening. We'll catch up then. We haven't had a proper chance to do that yet."

"You have work," Scorpius said as he pulled away.

"I'll be done work," Harry countered firmly. "I will be expecting you, in fact. Alright, Scorpius?"

"Thank you."

"Goodnight?"

Scorpius smiled and nodded. "Goodnight."

He waited until Harry had walked around the corner before smacking his hand against his forehead in mortification and grimacing as hard as he could. Why was he always making a fool out of himself? Why did he have to go blurting the first thing he could think of? He bit back a berating swear before whipping around and stomping into Al's room again.

"Gah!" he exclaimed and staggered back when he nearly ran into Albus who was standing right behind the door with a book in his hand and a blank expression on his face. "Where you listening?" Scorpius asked in disbelief.

"Yes," Albus said honestly. "Sorry."

Scorpius exhaled in defeat. "Did I make any sense?"

Al shrugged.

"Great," Scorpius groaned. "I just can't talk straight in front of him, you know? I can't talk straight in front of anyone these days, not Andy or your mother." He sighed again. "But he's right. I need to stop worrying about stuff like this." He stood up straighter with some effort. "Found a book?"

"Yes." Albus held it out. "I don't have a favorite."

"Then I'll start with this one."

"When you're done, I'll give you something different."

"Sounds good, Al. Thank you."

"You're welcome."


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** Here's something for you to gnaw on :) Thanks for reading.

* * *

The next evening, Scorpius was so anxious about his meeting with Harry that Teddy resorted to pulling him along an hour early despite mild protests. Ginny was home to greet them. They spoke in the living room for a while, but she was in the middle of dinner, so she let them be.

Lily was just passing by to get a snack from the kitchen when she ran into her unexpected visitors. "Oh! Whoa, I didn't know you guys were coming over today," she smiled. "What's up?"

"He's just here to talk with Harry," Teddy said, jerking his thumb at his cousin.

"This is really weird, but Al was just talking about you, Teddy," Lily said. "He's got something to ask you. He's in his room."

"Cool." Teddy got up. "Be right back, Squirt."

Scorpius pulled a face after him. Lily laughed and joined him on the couch. "Al and Teddy are pretty close," she told him. Then she leaned in conspiringly. "I don't think he likes us much. Teddy, I mean," she whispered.

"And why wouldn't he like you?" Scorpius indulged her.

"Because we're rather opinionated," Lily winked. "He doesn't like to lose and he always loses to us. With Albus, he doesn't have to try. Al just gives in."

"Man, all of you are so different," Scorpius noted. "It must be a madhouse in here."

"Oh, you have no idea," she giggled. "And what about you? It must be heaven to be an only child."

"Right." He rolled his eyes. "Heaven. Why do you think I'm so fascinated by you lot? It's boring at my place."

"Grass is always greener."

He chuckled and nodded in agreement. "Father says he's had enough excitement for a lifetime," he divulged. "It's as if he turned into a retiree at the age of twenty. It puts me off sometimes. I wish he was more like Harry."

"No, you don't," Lily snorted in derision. "Dad might seem awesome at first glance, but he's a real dork. Everyone loves him and all, but it gets old _really_ fast. It's been over twenty years already and people still want pictures with him. At least now his workload has eased up. Before, he used to work twelve hours a day. He just can't say no."

"He's Harry Potter."

"What? I'm not allowed to call Harry Potter a dork?"

"I don't think you are," Scorpius smiled. "Isn't that blasphemous around here?"

"He's my father. I can call him a dork if I want to."

"I see. It's a privilege, is it?"

"Of course."

Sounds of bounding footsteps interrupted them and Teddy showed up near the foot of the stairs, grinning mischievously at his cousin. "Come up here, would you?" he invited slyly.

"Why?" Scorpius asked. He was always cautious around Teddy when he looked like that.

More footsteps sounded from above and Teddy was jerked back up out of view.

"Ooh, I want to see this," Lily giggled. She grabbed Scorpius' hand and tugged him up off the sofa. He let her drag him up the stairs without complaining. He was her guest after all. "I bet you a Galleon they're having a very passive aggressive fight right now," she conspired.

Sure enough, when the two of them got to Albus' bedroom, they found the boys talking loudly at each other. Not yelling. Just talking rather loudly. Teddy kept bursting into controlled chuckles while Al was blushing bright red. Both of them shut up as soon as their audience arrived.

"No, no, please. Keep going," Lily urged.

"Just ask him," Teddy snickered.

Albus looked like he had swallowed a whole lot of wasps. Scorpius couldn't help pitying him, especially since he had been in that same situation way too many times. "Ask me what?" he wanted to know.

"Nothing," Albus mumbled.

Teddy was more than willing to fill everyone in on the situation. "He called me up here to figure out what _books_ you like to read, Scorp," he laughed.

Scorpius arched a brow while Lily joined Teddy's amusement. Albus was trying to justify himself over their cackles, attempting to explain that he had to know at least some of Scorpius' basic interests if he was to find books in his massive library, but his excuses went unheard by everyone but Scorpius. Al finally just gave up and shoved his hands into his pockets. Scorpius realized that the youngest Potter was _truly_ incapable of understanding social etiquette.

"You can ask me," he assured Albus. "I'm nice."

"I just-I was just… trying to help," Albus sulked.

"You're definitely most helpful," Scorpius assured him. "Come on." He gestured for Albus to walk over to the bookshelves. Once they were apart from Lily and Teddy who were now in the process of reenacting Albus' stumbling words, Scorpius asked, "How do you sort your books?"

"Genre."

"Alright. Point me in the direction of crime fiction."

Albus took five steps to the right and paused.

Scorpius followed him hesitantly. "Okay. But which shelves?" he prodded.

Albus pointed to the very top and then moved his hand down to the very bottom.

"Whoa," Scorpius breathed when he realized that the whole wall of shelves was dedicated to crime fiction. "No way."

"I… like crime fiction," Albus murmured.

"I see that…"

"They're arranged by the author's last name."

"Which is the best?"

He chewed on the side of his cheek as he thought for a moment. Then he said, "Mulberry Way. That one." He crouched down to pull out a book with a worn green jacket.

"How very Muggle of you," Scorpius smirked. He would have simply waved his wand to get the book.

"I don't use magic around books."

"Oh? How come?"

Albus shrugged as he said, "I've pulled down shelves before."

Scorpius chuckled in disbelief. "What do you mean?"

"Shelves… _Literally_ on top of me."

Lily and Teddy jumped in when they heard those words because the day Albus' room tried to kill him had been one of the most eventful days in the young man's life. "I was downstairs," she quickly interrupted, "and I hear this horrendous crash. I thought the house had broken in half or something. Turns out Al's room caved in on him when he tried to get a book. He's not very good at magic."

"That's not true," Albus argued so quietly that he was completely overlooked. "I was only thirteen."

"It took Harry ages to find him," Teddy told Scorpius. "They were digging through piles of books for ages. The fact that Al refused to shout for help the entire time didn't help the case. Apparently he was in too much of a shock from all his broken bones."

"_All_ his broken bones?" Scorpius asked in horror.

"Not that many," Albus mumbled.

"Oh, fun times," Teddy sighed.

"Not really."

"Don't let them push you around, Al," Scorpius said while frowning at Lily and Teddy. "I don't know how you deal with your family."

"Sometimes I wonder too," Albus said under his breath.

"You're the only sane one here."

Teddy scoffed at the two of them and nudged Lily with his elbow. "Geek solidarity," he joked.

"What's wrong with that?" Scorpius asked. "I bet I'd get along better with Albus than I do with you two. Go away. We're picking out books."

Albus grimaced. "You're all being very embarrassing right now."

"Yes. You sure are," Scorpius told Teddy and Lily off.

"You too, Scorpius," Albus grumbled.

"What?" Scorpius blurted out. "I'm on your side, man."

"Oh, leave him alone," Harry piped in from near the doorway, causing everyone to turn to him. He had his Ministry robe draped over an arm and a cup of coffee in his other hand. He smiled at Scorpius and nodded. "Office?"

"Sure," Scorpius said eagerly.

"Yeah," Albus huffed at Teddy and Lily. "Leave me alone."

"Thanks for the book, Al," Scorpius said before he disappeared into the hallway, following Harry into the large study.

Soon enough, he was a regular visitor at the Potter household. Whenever Teddy visited, which was every other day, he brought Scorpius along. They always stayed for dinner. By his fifth visit, Ginny had stopped giving Harry loaded looks, Lily had decided that the young Malfoy was the coolest ever, and he went home with a different book.

Harry, in the meantime, was getting hell from the Weasleys. He didn't mind it too much since Ginny wasn't as unforgiving as her family. Hermione had thrown a great big tantrum for a handful of minutes before calming down and congratulating Harry for being above all the prejudice surrounding ex-Death Eaters. Ron was still digesting the information, so he hadn't formed a proper opinion yet.

Harry was glad that his actions from all those years ago weren't for naught. Scorpius had had a relatively normal life in the States. He had graduated with honors in his school. He had gained admission into a good university. His parents were doing quite well, so they had no troubles with finances. He had a smart head on his shoulders. After all their talks, Harry realized how much Scorpius had grown. He was a mature adult now, able to participate in healthy conversations about the current situation regarding Ministry regulations as well as politics. He had very strong views against bigotry for obvious reasons. Harry wondered if he should figure out a way to get Hermione and Scorpius in the same room. They'd be talking for hours, no doubt.

"You did a good thing," Hermione told Harry. "I truly believe it. It's just… the circumstances that I don't agree with. You broke rules, Harry. A _lot_ of rules. How could you be sure that it won't come back to you?"

Harry smiled sheepishly. "I was really careful," he assured her. "Besides, all the rules I broke were revoked. Revoked by _you_, in fact. And they moved after getting stable jobs in the States. They had work permits. That's within the rules. All I did was put in a good word and speed up a few things here and there."

"That's favoritism."

"Well… Scorpius was _very_ persuasive for an eight year old."

She rolled her eyes at him. She knew all about that soft side of him, so she couldn't think of any reason to argue a point that would no doubt go over his head. According to him, his morality was intact and he had done what he could to help an innocent child. That's how she saw it as well. Scorpius couldn't help who his parents were. Harry had _tried_ to justify Draco Malfoy's actions using that same excuse, but she heard none of it. Draco may have been indoctrinated when he was younger, but he still acted out of cowardice. Scorpius' situation was drastically different, or at least it was in her eyes.

"Would you like to meet Hermione?" Harry asked Scorpius, quite obviously encouraging the young man to say yes.

Scorpius, however, wasn't so sure. "Um… I've read a couple books she wrote," he faltered. "Father says she doesn't have a good opinion about him."

"I won't deny that," Harry winked. "She did punch him that one time." As Scorpius paled, Harry looked off into the corner and added, "Actually… I think _Ron's_ hit him once too. Huh."

"I see," Scorpius gulped. "And I'm sure he deserved it. But I don't think it would be in my best interests… to meet her."

"On the contrary, I think she'd be extremely valuable if you're willing to take the time to speak with her," Harry explained. "She is a very smart woman, Scorpius. The smartest I've met. And she has plenty of connections. You know, if you plan to stay here…"

"Harry."

"Oh, come on," Harry pressed on eagerly. "I _know_ you want to stay. What's keeping you? Your parents?"

Scorpius shrugged as he sat back in his chair. "I've never been away from them, I guess," he said. "They would support any decision I make, I know that. And… it's different here."

"Just think about it for now."

"I will."

Scorpius couldn't ask for a better way to spend his summer than to hang out with Teddy and the Potters. His father and mother were busy with their work, so he was glad that someone had taken him under their wing. There was never a shortage of excitement in the Potter household. Over the two months he had already spent at their place, he had been at the butt end of three pranks, courtesy of Teddy and Lily, learned how to ride the motorcycle (on the road) with James yelling in his ear the entire time, sat through Ginny's rambling rants about the unfairness of broom quality between Quidditch teams, and spent what quiet time he had left in Al's library bedroom.

"Can I ask you something?"

Albus was sitting on the floor against the bed with his knees pulled up and his bespectacled eyes peeking out from above them. Scorpius smiled in confusion at the timid question and nodded as he set his book down on the ground. Albus rarely spoke to him and he definitely never took the initiative to start a conversation.

"Do you have a girlfriend?"

"Um… No. I don't."

"Lily said she saw you with Lauren at that party."

Scorpius smiled. "She's not my girlfriend, Al."

"Okay."

Scorpius waited for Albus to continue, but he didn't. So they went back to sitting in silence. Scorpius tried to get into the book once again but he could feel Albus' stare, which made him incredibly self-conscious.

"Because I think Lily likes you."

Scorpius shook his head in defeat as he put the book down again. "Did she tell you that?" he asked carefully.

"Not in so many words, but I notice things," Albus mumbled.

Scorpius allowed himself a short laugh. He had never known Albus to be so direct. "Then I'm sorry to say I'll have to disappoint her. And how old is she, anyway? Eighteen?"

"Mhm."

"There you go."

Albus tilted his head to the side but all Scorpius could see were large emerald eyes behind thick frames. "You only date older women?" the dark-haired boy asked inquisitively.

"What is it with these questions?"

Albus shrugged.

"Weird," Scorpius muttered under his breath as he smirked. "You're rather weird, Albus. Has anyone said that before?"

"All the time." Albus tipped his head down so his eyes were hidden away once again.

Scorpius worried his lip for a long moment before pulling himself together. "I'm not interested in your sister."

"Because you're in love with my father, right?"

There was strained silence for a second.

Then Albus picked his head up and rested his chin on his knees. "You look at him," he explained. "I've noticed."


	6. Chapter 6

In love with Harry? Scorpius stared out the window as his stomach roiled. That was disgusting. He rested his forehead on the cold glass. He wasn't in love with Harry.

He had fallen in love before. When he was seventeen, he had fallen in love with a sweet girl from school. He knew what love felt like. It felt unnerving and wonderful. His hand was always clammy when it held onto her. When she smiled at him, his head went blank and he nearly stopped breathing. She was kind and sweet and quiet. It had been perfect. Even when they grew out of their love, it had been perfect.

There were other girls too, girls who liked him enough to kiss him and go out with him.

He knew what love was like.

All those times when his parents had been unreasonable, he would shut the door to his bedroom and sit down to write a heated letter to Harry. He would never send it. That would be childish. But he had always felt as though if anyone understood him, it would be Harry. He must have written a letter a day at one point when he was fifteen. That didn't mean anything. Harry was his idol and… that was that.

He gritted his teeth as he tried to shut his brain off. He hardly ever got close with anyone other than his family. Harry was the only exception. He hadn't even spoken so freely with the girl he had loved. Teddy and Harry were the only two he opened up to. That was allowed.

He wasn't in love with Harry. He… loved Harry. Teddy said _everybody_ loved Harry. That was allowed. That wasn't bad.

He glanced back when he heard the floorboards creak. Astoria froze and then smiled apologetically for sneaking up on him. "Feeling better?" she asked as she walked up to him to hand over a bowl of warm soup.

"I'm not sick," Scorpius sighed. "Stop worrying."

"Well, you look sick to _me_," Astoria fussed. "Teddy's worried too."

"I'm not feeling up for a visit, that's all."

"And that means you're sick."

"Not necessarily," Scorpius maintained. "It means I'm not up for a visit."

"Did you two fight?"

"Mother."

"That's right. I'm your mother. I'm supposed to pry."

Scorpius put the bowl of soup of the window ledge and wound his arms around her waist to hug her tight. "I'm all good, okay? I'm just thinking about some stuff Harry said," he murmured.

"Oh… About staying?"

"Hmm."

"Those are pretty deep thoughts for my baby."

"I'm not a baby anymore, Mom."

Astoria pressed a firm kiss against her son's forehead. "You're always little to me, okay? Don't worry yourself sick over this. There is no wrong answer."

Scorpius bit his tongue and kept his 'right' answer to himself.

A day later, Teddy practically dragged Scorpius out of his bedroom. "Enough moping," he demanded. "Today we're going to a party at Vicky's."

"I'm not in the mood, Teddy. I'm sorry."

"Excuses, excuses." Teddy could be very strong-willed and that's how Scorpius found himself at the party that was filled with Weasleys.

Apparently Rose had gotten accepted into a medical school, which was a pretty big deal. Victoire's flat was tiny in any case. Adding twenty people in there made it a tight squeeze, just the way the Weasleys liked it.

Scorpius had caught one glimpse of Albus by the kitchen and he had skittered away, slipping into Victoire's study, away from the bustle. He knew he was being unreasonable. He had nothing to hide. Why hadn't he just laughed in Albus' face that day? Why did he have to storm out instead? That only made it seem like Al was right. Scorpius silently cursed Teddy and Albus in his mind.

He plopped down on the couch and picked up the book that lay beside him. He had to get his mind off of things. Albus was just a child and didn't know what he was saying. Besides, _he_ knew how he felt. That was all that mattered.

The door opened quietly, prompting him to look up. He nearly groaned aloud when he saw Albus peek in. He looked down at the book furiously and kept reading, hoping that sent the message loud and clear.

"I wasn't going to tell."

Scorpius shifted in his seat uncomfortably and ducked his head even further.

Albus chewed on the side of his cheek, which was his nervous habit, while pushing his glasses up his nose. "Scorpius?" he hesitated.

"I heard you," Scorpius muttered in an attempt to get Albus to shut up and go away.

Albus was used to being talked to that way. His siblings often used that tone on him when they were irritated. It shouldn't have bothered him.

But it did this time. Hearing that tone from Scorpius really bothered him. He moved up to sit down on the edge of the couch. Scorpius tightened his fingers around the book, waiting for more questions. Albus didn't speak, however. He simply sat there with his hands on his lap and his eyes trained on his shoes. That was his way of rebelling and it was very passive aggressive.

After a while, Scorpius was itching to get up and leave. He was feeling unusual anger towards Albus and this treatment wasn't making him feel any better. He was still mortified from their last encounter but Albus didn't seem to notice that. Now he was going to be paranoid about the way he acted around Harry. He hated this. He squeezed his eyes shut because he knew he was getting worked up.

He jerked back when he felt a soft touch against his cheek.

He whipped his head up at Albus in shock, blinking rapidly after a second when he realized that he had just been kissed on the cheek.

"I look like him, don't I?" Albus asked.

Scorpius scrambled up to his feet in horror. "Fuck you," he swore before storming out.

Albus stared after him, feeling confused. Then dismay and embarrassment coursed through him. That was the first time he had ever kissed anyone. He pulled his knees onto this couch and against his chest, hiding his face against them. He just wanted to cry. He dug his nails into his shins. He was so stupid. Scorpius didn't even _like_ him.

"That wasn't very smooth."

He curled up into a tighter ball when his hair was ruffled. He felt the couch sag next to him and he leaned against Teddy, letting himself get wrapped up in a comforting hug.

Teddy smiled when he heard a quiet sniffle. "You should have said 'I like you' instead," he murmured.

"I'm so stupid."

"To be fair," Teddy pressed on, "he's pretty stupid too, huh? It's so obvious that you like him."

That wasn't what Albus wanted to hear. He whined in dismay. He was being obvious?

"It's also pretty obvious who he likes."

Now Albus flinched.

"So, you think he'll like you more if you're like Harry?"

"Maybe," Albus faltered. "It's… It doesn't matter. I-"

"This is the _first_ time you've taken the initiative, Al," Teddy interrupted while chuckling lightly. "I think it matters a whole lot, actually. In fact, I'm pretty sure this is the first time I've seen you get interested in anything other than a fairy tale."

"Fairy tales aren't mean to me," Albus mumbled.

* * *

Scorpius dreaded his next visit to the Potters. He had already been humiliated by Albus and he knew that it was only a matter of time before Al let things slip to his siblings. However, Teddy was practically dragging him over to Harry's for dinner. He had tried every excuse in the book, but his cousin seemed to see right through him. He had prepared himself for the worst when he walked into the house.

So he was surprised when he was greeted with the same level of enthusiasm by everyone, including Harry. No one looked at him differently or asked him any strange questions. James was, as usual, too busy with his phone to say a proper greeting. Lily was staring at him with her doe eyes. Harry and Ginny were alternating between talking to Scorpius and checking up on dinner that was steaming in the kitchen.

"Where's Al?" Teddy asked.

"Oh, he's gone to the library," Ginny told them.

Teddy scoffed. "He's got an insane one in his room."

"Like that's going to stop him," she laughed.

"Yeah," Harry joined in. "If he had his way, he would drag his bed all the way there so he wouldn't have to leave."

This was perfectly fine with Scorpius. He was still furious with Albus and didn't know what he would do if he locked eyes on that boy. Dinner was somewhat pleasant as he tried to keep his attention on his plate instead of Harry. Teddy was, as always, the life of the party. No one noticed Scorpius' awkwardness or unusual silence.

For three successive dinners after that, Scorpius was a nervous wreck and Teddy pretended not to notice. During each visit, Albus was conveniently absent.

And, all of sudden, Scorpius realized that he hadn't seen Albus in nearly a month.

He looked up from his breakfast and blinked at Teddy when he noticed this.

"What?" Teddy yawned. "Want more sugar?" He flicked his wand to float the sugar bowl over.

"No," Scorpius murmured. So Albus was actively avoiding him. He put the spoon back in his cereal and sat back as he felt an unpleasant churn in his stomach. Perhaps he had been way too harsh. Sure, Albus deserved it, but he should have just brushed it off instead of reacting like this. "I was just… thinking."

"Mhm," Teddy nodded absently while scanning the newspaper.

Scorpius dropped his head. Why was he feeling so crappy about this _now_? He didn't even do anything wrong. Everything was Al's fault, after all. "Have you seen Albus lately?" he asked.

Teddy glanced up to study his cousin's demeanor, smiling privately when he saw apparent dejection. "No, not really," he said with nonchalance. "Why? Need a book from him?"

"Um, yeah," Scorpius lied.

"I'm sure he's at home today. Just go grab it real quick after breakfast," Teddy said, gently pushing Scorpius towards a decision.

"No, it's fine."

"Well, if you need the book, just go over there. He won't mind."

"I said it's fine."

Teddy didn't push him any further. He turned the page of the newspaper lazily and read for a few minutes, letting Scorpius sulk in front of his, now cooling, bowl of cereal. He figured that it wasn't fair for just Albus to sulk. After a fashion of time, he made a show of closing up the paper and setting it aside. "He's a weird one, isn't he?"

"Hmm?" Scorpius asked, evidently preoccupied with his own thoughts.

"Al, I mean," Teddy clarified. "He's always been a weird kid."

"Yeah." Scorpius was only half-listening as he ate. "Doesn't think before he speaks."

Teddy leaned his elbow on the table and rested his chin on the heel of his palm. "Actually… he thinks too much before he speaks. It's why he never talks to anyone."

Scorpius looked up curiously.

"He used to get bullied all the time," Teddy said. "I mean, never mind the stuff his sister and brother do to him. That happens in all families. But in school as well, he'd be bullied. And he won't say anything because he didn't really see a point in all this."

"I don't understand."

"He'd always tell me, 'I don't care if they're mean. It doesn't matter to me. They won't listen to me anyway, so I just walk away.' And that's what he'd do. He'd just walk away. No fighting or drama. He hates drama about as much as Lily loves it. So he always makes sure to think carefully before he says anything."

"I see," Scorpius faltered. So, if Albus hated to make a scene, then why did he do what did? It didn't make sense.

Teddy stared at Scorpius for a moment before adding, "He's one of the nicest people I know."

Scorpius felt guilt gnaw at him.

"He's pretty much like Harry. More awkward, but he's the same."

* * *

Lily glanced up from her magazine, her brows rising with interest when she saw her brother standing by the door nervously. "What's up?" she asked as she sat up in bed and motioned for him to come in.

Albus shuffled in and promptly sat down on the very edge of her bed. "I need to…"

"Talk?"

"Mhm."

"About?"

He shook his head while keeping his eyes on his hands that rested on his lap. Lily was pleasantly surprised at this new development. She scooted over to sit beside him. It wasn't often that the two of them got some time alone to simply talk. They had entirely different interests, which meant their topics of conversation never overlapped. But now, apparently Albus wanted to speak with her and only her. She didn't pressure him. She sat with him for a long while.

That was enough time for him to gather up his thoughts. "It's… about Scorpius," he murmured.

Lily frowned in confusion as she searched her brother's expressionless face. She hated the fact that she could almost never read him because of his impassive features. "What about him?" she asked carefully.

"He's not interested in you."

The sudden silence was broken with peals of laughter from Lily. She couldn't believe her brother had just said that to her. Of all people, _he_ just told her that Scorpius wasn't interested in her! "Oh my goodness, Al! How would you know that?" she asked shakily.

"He told me."

"Merlin!" She giggled herself silly, finally ending up falling onto the bed and clutching her stomach. She would never understand her brother. He said the darnedest things. She grabbed the back of his shirt and jerked him down. They ended up side-by-side on the bed. "What's up, Al?" she asked again. "Did he tell you? For real?"

Albus nodded. "He thinks you're too young."

"Gee, thanks."

"That's all."

Lily stared up at the ceiling with the ghost of her laughter still on her lips. It was for reasons like this that she loved Albus to death.


	7. Chapter 7

Albus was slouched on the bed with his notebook on his lap and ink smudged on his fingers. He just stared at the page that was now filled with absent doodles and shapes. He couldn't get anything out of him because he was feeling much too down. He groaned and thumped the back of his head against the headboard. He contemplated just curling up and going to sleep despite the fact that it was one in the afternoon. He had never, ever, ever realized that mortification could be such a huge writer's block.

A soft knock sounded against his door. "Come in," he mumbled despondently.

His eyes widened and his heart started to hammer away at his chest when he saw Scorpius standing at his doorway.

He hurriedly pushed the blanket off of him and struggled to get out bed, upsetting the inkbottle and dropping his book on the floor. "Um… um, ah, I… What are you… um."

Scorpius watched Albus move about, so plainly flustered. "Sorry… Were you busy?" he asked.

"N-no," Albus was quick to say as he brushed his shirt smooth and straightened his glasses. A furious blush was working its way up to his cheeks and he couldn't keep his eyes on Scorpius. "Did you need a book?" he managed to force out.

"Yeah," Scorpius said vaguely while scrutinizing Albus.

"Okay." Albus shuffled on the spot for a bit before making up his mind and moving towards the door with the intention of leaving Scorpius be and escaping the foul atmosphere.

Scorpius stopped him just as he brushed past. "You don't have to leave."

"It's fine," Albus mumbled while easing out of Scorpius' grip. "I need to do something anyw-"

"Albus."

Albus flinched. At the moment he felt as though he were about to die from embarrassment. He just didn't want to do it in front of Scorpius. "Y-you can find your book," he rushed, quickly turning away and opening the door.

Scorpius reached over and pushed it shut. "Were you being serious, Al?"

"I don't know what you-"

Scorpius jerked Albus around forcibly. The younger man stared up in blatant shock. His tense arms were wrapped around his stomach, his fingers tugging at his shirt. Scorpius was trying to read his face, becoming more confused when he saw nothing deceptive. Albus looked scared and that was all.

"You do look like him," Scorpius murmured.

Albus twisted his shirt frantically. His heart was racing and his palms were clammy. He just wanted Scorpius to understand, not misunderstand. "I… I-"

Scorpius interrupted the shaky words by reaching out and tipping the spectacles off of Albus' nose, pushing it up so it sat against thick locks of black hair. He slid the back of his hand over Albus' neck.

Albus felt his mouth go dry and his stomach churn unpleasantly.

Scorpius brushed his thumb against the younger man's skin. Is this what Albus meant? Before he could help himself, he leaned in and inhaled slowly. The scent that wafted around Albus wasn't the same as Harry, but it was similar. It was faintly sweet and young, but the musty smell of ink and books seemed to have become embedded into Al.

It reminded him of timelessness.

"I should go," he faltered as he reached around Albus to turn the doorknob.

Albus leaned against the door and shook his head stubbornly.

"Al."

"You can kiss me."

Scorpius turned the doorknob with equal stubbornness. "You aren't letting me think straight," he muttered while attempting to open the door.

"I said I don't mind if you kiss me," Albus said as he clutched the hem of Scorpius' shirt and pulled at him. "Really."

"I'd mind." Scorpius gently pulled Al's hand away. "You aren't being fair."

Albus knitted his brows in confusion.

Scorpius clicked his tongue to the roof of his mouth and glanced away. On one hand, his heart was racing. But, on the other hand, why was he doing this?

"I look like him, so it's okay."

Scorpius laughed humorlessly. "You've never done this before, have you?"

Albus blushed brighter. Was it that obvious? "Now you aren't being fair either," he mumbled as his fingers wound together timidly once again.

Scorpius conceded with a weak sigh. "Right, I know." He reached up and nudged Al's spectacles back down. Albus shoved it firmly against his nose. "You do look like him," Scorpius whispered while sweeping the hair away from Al's forehead. "Except here." He pressed his fingers against the unmarred skin.

Albus flinched internally. The scar was his father's identity, not his. "Sorry," he mumbled.

Scorpius smiled in defeat as he trailed his fingers down and hooked them under Albus' chin, prompting him to look up. "What for?" he asked.

Albus shrugged.

"What are you thinking right now, Albus?"

"Nothing."

"Tell me."

"I'm not thinking anything."

"Then…" Scorpius looked over Al's shoulder, at the door, "I should go."

"Mhm." Albus moved to the side quietly. Scorpius eyed him for a moment before opening the door and leaving the room.

Al dropped his head in his hands and stifled his groan. He had thought that being a substitute for his father would be fine, but right now he was feeling boiling anger. He didn't want to be a stand-in. He wanted Scorpius to look at him and see _him_, not Harry. He leaned against the door and slid down it, raking his fingers through his hair to stop his mind from running away on him.

* * *

The next day, when Scorpius came over with Teddy, Al was home. Teddy was the only one who noticed the change. The rest of the Potters seemed oblivious. Albus never looked up at them or mumbled more than a few words. He even sat as far away from the two as possible. But he was still present at dinner.

And, the fact that Scorpius was hardly looking at him didn't go unnoticed either. Teddy wanted to kick his cousin after seeing Albus' expression. He knew something had happened and he couldn't help thinking that 'something' had be somewhat awful. But Scorpius acted like nothing was wrong. He still had eyes for Harry and he still laughed with Lily and he still talked with James and he still complimented Ginny's cooking. Everyone was pretending like Albus didn't exist because… well, he wasn't really _existing_ at that moment.

While Albus would previously have shrugged it off, that night for the first time he felt rather inadequate. He lost his appetite a little ways into dinner and then he lost his interest. He ate mechanically. He couldn't wait to be excused. He just wished he could read Scorpius' mind.

He had been thinking a lot about his feelings. He had tried to put himself in Scorpius' shoes. Unfortunately that only made him envy his father. The young man always brightened up when Harry was around. He spoke more, he stumbled over his words, and he laughed. All he did when he was around Albus was smile and make small talk. Albus knew he wasn't like his father. At least not yet. But he could try. He could try to engage more, to be more present. Maybe then…

He shook his head as he stood in front of his beloved books and let his eyes drift from one spine to the next. What was he even thinking? He crossed his arms against his chest as he felt anger stir in him. He was being unreasonably childish. He was supposed to be the mature one, wasn't he? He exhaled in a controlled manner to relieve his tension. He needed to get his mind off of his adolescent thoughts.

He reached up to grab a book, going up on his toes. He almost got his hands on the book too before he started teetering to the side.

An arm wrapped around his waist and gently tugged him in the opposite direction so he could catch his balance. Instead, he twisted around with a sudden gasp and stumbled back into the bookshelf while looking up at Scorpius with wide eyes. Scorpius smiled in surprise, his brows knitting ever so slightly. "What?" he asked. Albus was too stunned to say a word. Scorpius got the book down for him but didn't hand it over. He held it up between them instead. Albus snapped out of his fright and quickly grabbed the book out of Scorpius' hand. Then he tucked his chin to his chest and opened the worn cover to start reading despite the position he was in at the moment.

Scorpius found him amusing. He tilted his head down as well so his forehead was pressed against Al's. He could feel the younger man's anxiety by the way his body was tensed up. He read the title of the book upside down, arching a brow as he did so. "Rise and Fall of Egypt?" he murmured. "Seriously?"

Albus looked up sharply. "It's an interesting read."

Scorpius saw so many qualities of Harry in Albus that it was somewhat disorienting. All he could do was chuckle breathlessly while staring at Al's defiant eyes. "You're so confusing, man," he said. He let his arms fall to his sides and stepped back. "Shall I go?"

Albus blinked at him in puzzlement. "Mhm."

Scorpius nodded as he walked back a few steps before turning to leave.

Al's face fell when sudden realization struck. "W-wait!" he stammered before he could stop himself.

Scorpius glanced back at him.

"You're going back?" Albus asked quietly.

"Yes."

"I… But… Aren't you going to stay?"

Scorpius shook his head.

Albus swallowed his trepidation. "I… didn't know."

"I know you didn't know," Scorpius said. "You're always in your own world, aren't you?"

"Why are you going back?"

"School. I've got to start soon."

"Is that all?"

Scorpius assured Albus with a firm nod. "That's all. And… you should come visit. Alright?"

"Okay."

* * *

Lily leaned against the wall beside Albus and watched Harry say goodbye to the Malfoys in the crowded terminal. Teddy was animatedly talking with Scorpius at a mile a minute. "It's kind of sad, huh?" she told her brother. "I don't like goodbyes."

He didn't say anything.

Once Harry had turned away from Draco and Astoria, he was struck by a case of déjà vu when Scorpius smiled sadly at him. "Oh, come on," he sighed before wrapping his arms around the young man and hugging him tight. "Don't look like that."

"Sorry," Scorpius mumbled. "I'll miss you."

"What for? You can visit anytime you like now."

"I know. Thank you for everything."

Teddy was next in line to squeeze the breath out of Scorpius. "Make sure you don't get eaten alive out there," he whispered.

"I'll try," Scorpius chuckled. "I'll talk to you soon."

"Yeah. Firecall me when you land." Then Teddy glanced back at the two young Potters who were sulking in the corner. "Go say bye to them."

Scorpius was hesitant but figured it would be poor form to just leave without proper goodbyes. Lily pushed off the wall when she saw him approach, her face brightening with a smile. She threw her arms around him before he could even say a word. "It was great meeting you," she said.

"Uh… Um, you too, Lily," Scorpius faltered. "You've been awesome."

She pulled back slightly and reached up on her toes to press a kiss against Scorpius' cheek. "So have you," she said before walking towards her father nonchalantly.

When Scorpius glanced at Albus, he found the boy gawking. Al snapped his mouth shut when he realized the face he was making. He quickly rearranged his expression and folded his arms against his chest. Scorpius looked back at Lily and then at Albus. "Guess you weren't kidding about her," he remarked uncomfortably.

"I never said I was," Albus muttered under his breath.

"What's wrong?"

"I don't know."

"Are you mad at me?"

"No."

"Then?"

"I said I don't know."

"Mad at yourself?"

"Yes."

Scorpius smiled at him. "You are too honest."

"Have fun at your university."

"Al…"

"What?"

"At least give me a hug, will you?"

Albus looked ready to refuse, but he was way too softhearted to do anything so mean. He grumbled to himself as he shuffled forward and let Scorpius hug him. All he wanted to do was cry. He hid his face against Scorpius' shoulder. He was going to feel very sad now.

Scorpius patted Al's back. "It's been nice getting to know you, Albus. Keep writing, okay?" he whispered.

"I will."

Scorpius pulled back. "I'll see you some time?" he asked.

"Yeah."

"Bye."

"Bye…"

Now Albus understood how young adolescents felt after a summer of love – over before it even began. He never thought he could be like the characters in those books. He never imagined that he could be this emotional. He had always been much too practical, too shut in for any sort of interaction that could lead to this gnawing ache at the pit of his stomach and unbearable itch at the back of his throat. As soon as he got home, he locked himself in his room and crawled into bed. So this was what heartache felt like. Who knew… He burrowed under his pillows and parchment as he sobbed quietly. He hated Scorpius. He hated him so much.


End file.
